Ethics at center of Bill Daniels’ life of success, philanthropy

A group of current and former Denver business luminaries gathered Tuesday for a luncheon at Cherry Hills Country Club to view a new short film about late cable-TV pioneer and sports enthusiast Bill Daniels.

The film, “Principled Leadership: Bill Daniels and the Utah Stars,” celebrated Daniels’ legacy as a successful businessman and sports-team owner who placed integrity at the foundation of his dealings.

Daniels was praised in opening remarks by the Rev. Ed Beck, who said he “was a man of integrity. A man of honesty — especially in the business world.”

Special guests at the event were Vince Boryla and his wife, Mary Jo. Vince Boryla was the president of the Utah Stars of the American Basketball Association when Daniels owned the team from 1970 to 1975.

After Daniels bought the ABA Los Angeles Stars, he moved the franchise to Salt Lake City in 1970. That first season, the freshly renamed Utah Stars won what is to this day the state’s only major professional championship.

Vince Boryla, left, and Grant Harrison, former Utah Stars execs

By 1975, however, the team had fallen on hard financial times, and Daniels declared it bankrupt and shut down operations. Many people, including ticket holders, lost money on the deal, and Daniels was crestfallen. But within a few years, he made a point of paying everyone back what they had lost — even the ticket holders — with 8 percent annual interest.

Daniels was close with Msgr. Charles “Father Woody” Woodrich, a Denver legend for his work with the poor. Woodrich set up a Christmastime tradition of giving $20 to each of hundreds of poor and homeless people. After Woodrich died in 1991, Daniels funded the tradition, which continues to the present.

Lovie Shipp, who once was Woodrich’s secretary, marveled at Daniels’ sincerity in his good deeds.

“Don’t ever try to fake ethics,” she said. “God don’t like it, and other people see through it.”

The film on Daniels’ life includes commentary from the likes of fellow cable-TV titans Ted Turner and John Malone, as well as former President George H.W. Bush.

Beck said Daniels’ success revolved around his putting other people first.

Not long before his death in March 2000, Daniels wondered aloud to Beck why he was still alive. Daniels had already established a foundation to help people, but he felt that “It’s not yet done.”

“That’s why you’re here,” Beck replied.

Since its inception in 2000 through the end of last year, the Daniels Fund had distributed more than $360 million, over half of that going to reform of K-12 schools, programs for the homeless and disadvantaged, and youth development.